We were asked to post impressions of the new EA Code cables. I wrote these notes before seeing the production announcement.
I’ve had a chance to demo the new EA prototype cables. Thanks,
@Sebastien Chiu , for the opportunity! Quick note, I had no previous knowledge of the cables regarding materials used or where they fit in the EA family of cables. I wanted to summarize my impressions. First of all, both cables are a bit on the hefty side. They’re not super supple, and they are slighty larger than the Fusion1, which I do own. Still, they have enough flexibility that they should be of acceptable comfort for most users. As for sound impressions, I tested with Amber Pearl, Traillii, Rn6, and Nostalgia Camelot, so I had a mix of DD, BA with BCD, all BA, and Fir’s DD kinetic bass. Also, I lean towards Jazz and fusion, so no heavy metal or edm in the mix. Sorry! Of course, this is all my opinion only, YMMV, and so forth!
Initial impression will focus on bass, which is the first thing you notice when you hear either cable. They both have very dynamic and punchy bass, with very good decay and realism. Both sets will pull out all the bass that your iem can offer, regardless of the driver type. They are both outstanding, but in different ways.
Blue cable
This is the livelier cable of the two, and in a good way. Lots of bass! And it’s mostly in the sub bass, which is taut and deep and plentiful. It’s visceral yet controlled; you get the right amount of pluck on the strings on a stand up bass or a nice growl with electric bass. It takes a bit to adjust to the bass impact, but after I did, I didn’t feel that it was overly done, and came to appreciate how it created a more dynamic stage for the iem. I immediately noticed that it added control to the Amber Pearls bass, which is plentiful if slightly bloomy for a BA bass. The BCD must respond really well with this cable. As I said, I didn’t notice the bass being overwhelming, it’s more an anchor that adds texture and a grandness of sorts to the overall sound. Mid bass steps back slightly to transition smoothly up to mids, where there is a slight scoop in the lower mids, which gives the mids a touch of a neutral sound. Nothing extreme, but I noticed it with the Traillii, which has that same scoop, leaving me thinking this cable might not be best fit with it. From mids upward through treble, it is balanced and cohesive, maybe slightly above neutral, but clear, precise, with a natural timbre. The clarity is excellent! Vocals are not recessed or forward, just centerstage as you would want. Upper treble has a nice sparkle, a bit more sparkle than the Purple cable, but no sign of sibilance. Soundstage is nice and wide, and won’t bottleneck the staging your iem presents. I would absolutely buy this cable for the Amber Pear, in particular.
Purple Cable
My first impression of this cable was that it reminded me of Eletech’s SOA, only with stronger bass notes, and that’s a pretty good complement right out of the gate. It is smooth, transparent, and just lets the strong points of your iem shine through. It doesn’t have the sub bass of the blue cable, but might have better overall balance top to bottom than the blue. Bass is more focused on mid bass with this cable, but as with the blue, it’s very controlled with good timbre. I think the mid bass and lower mids are slightly elevated and tends to give purple a slightly warmer sound. It also makes the mids sound a tiny bit recessed up to the upper mid and lower treble, where there seems to be a slight rise, giving tenor and female vocals nice positioning. Similarly, Toms and piano sound natural, clear and precise. Upper treble is smoother than the blue cable, but still very detailed (somewhat like I would describe the upper treble on the Orphy). Soundstage is a tiny bit smaller than the blue cable, but still has good width, and maybe a bit better depth than the blue. This could be a fantastic all rounder, and of my iems, one that I would be happy with on the Traillii, Rn6, and Camelot.
I have no idea what the price point on either of these cables is, but I’ve come away very impressed with both. To recap, they both really shine in the bass department. Bass is controlled and with good timbre and decay. Yet for all the bass these cables present, they are both extremely balanced and very cohesive; you don’t feel like you’re missing any part of the music. Both cables have a clear, natural timbre, and don’t overly color the flavor of your DAP and iem. Very nice!
State of the Collection
